Learning how to stay💙
Chapter 8: Crossroads
Warnings: Canon typical violence, graphic injury, blood, attempted sexual assault, military violence, major character injury, distress.
This is a heavy chapter. Please make sure you are in the correct headspace before continuing!!
Additional warnings/tags may be added as story progresses
Summary: Detroit grows more dangerous by the day. Connor faces the consequences of his choices while Elise discovers just how high the cost of helping others has become.
November 8th, 2038 05:15pm- Elise’s apartment
Elise somehow managed to make it through the workday. By the time she stumbles inside, kicking her shoes off, hanging her coat by the door, all she wants to do is shower and go to bed. She does not want to turn on the tv and hear anything else about a speech, she doesn’t want to hear one more person’s thoughts, she doesn’t even want to have a conversation.
Her friends back in Florida have seen the news, and of course, they’re blowing up her phone with messages:
OMG!! Is Detroit okay??
Call me back ASAP, I need to talk to you
What’s going to happen there?
But, she doesn’t even have the energy for them. She stares at the messages, and they quickly go unanswered. She leaves her phone on the counter as she steps into the shower, closing her eyes as the warm water falls around her.
She stays in the shower until it’s too cold to stand, only then does she step out. There, no one needed anything from her. God, does she wish she could go back to when no one depended on her. When lives didn’t depend on her. She makes her way into the kitchen, opening her fridge, looking for something to cook.
That’s when it hits her. She hadn’t been grocery shopping in so long, she barely had anything in her house. She had been so preoccupied with helping Rose and getting androids across the border that she had been neglecting her every day tasks. She couldn’t remember the last evening she’d spent doing absolutely nothing.
She’s suddenly aware of how much she really needed to do. She can’t remember the last time she folded her clothes and actually put them away, the last time she had mopped the floor. That’s something she was a firm believer in doing weekly, yet whenever she managed to make it home, she was wrung. All she could do most of the time was scramble for something to eat, shower, and fall asleep exhausted.
She’s pulled out of her train of thought when her phone dings, a message from Rose:
I have two androids here, and a little girl. They want to get to Jericho.
I’ll call with more details tomorrow. We shouldn’t text about this kind of information anymore. Too risky.
Elise reads the message and closes her eyes. She had known this was coming, especially after that speech yesterday, but she had not expected it to be so soon. All she can do now is go about her night, try to be as normal as possible, and wait for the details from Rose. But, she knows all too well that means tomorrow night, she’s in for a very long, terrifying night.
Elise manages to find some chips and granola bars in the back of her pantry, that will have to do.
She thinks to herself: I’ll go to the store Wednesday. I will probably take a sick day after tomorrow night.
When she finally crawls into bed at 9:45, the emotional weight of the past few days hit her. She wants to cry, scream, or throw something. Maybe all three, but pretty soon exhaustion overtakes all of her other feelings as she drifts into unconsciousness.
November 8th, 2038 - 10:15pm Detroit Police Station
Connor sits in the empty police station, he still feels unsettled by what he witnessed at the news tower, but he doesn’t know where else to go. Going to CyberLife would not be a great idea, given his state.
He’s trying to write the report on what they found, a task Hank should have been doing that somehow always got pushed onto Connor. Yet, every time Connor tries to type something, he keeps replaying Simon’s memory.
He replayed the memory for what must have been the fifteenth time. Every detail remained identical. The fear, the pain, the finality. His processors insisted it wasn’t his experience, yet his processors refuse to classify it as someone else’s.
Connor doesn’t even realize what he’s doing as he traces the bottom of his chin with his fingers, the same place Simon had shot himself. Not because he’s injured, but in that moment, he felt Simon’s pain, his fear, everything. Each time he replayed the memory, he hoped something would be different. Each time Simon still died.
Connor pushes the thought away, he has to make progress on this investigation or he will be replaced. Amanda would not let him forget that, and he cannot let her down again. Even if Simon had unsettled him in a way he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to shake, he did give him something else. He types one word into the report before leaving for the night:
Jericho.
November 9th, 2038 - 05:45am Elise’s apartment
Her alarm goes off at 5:45am, like it always does. She had been so good about her routine when she first moved to Detroit. Up early, making breakfast, stopping for coffee along her walk to the office. Now, she made it to work right on time, sometimes having to speed walk.
This morning, she snoozes her alarm. Not once, but three times. She finally forces herself out of bed at 6:15, dragging herself to her bathroom to get ready. When Elise emerges from the bathroom, she sits down on the bed, almost debating whether or not to go.
She really does not want to, but she can’t take off two days in a row. That would look so bad, and she’d already decided she wanted to take tomorrow off, since she would definitely be out late tonight.
November 9th, 2038- 07:00am Elise’s office
On her walk to work, she notices more police are out, more helicopters, news anchors on every corner of Capitol Park. She wonders why?
But, as she walks her route to work, she quickly notices exactly why: We are alive written all over storefronts, a symbol of peace drawn on the sides of buildings with paint, screens hacked and playing the speech that had everyone going crazy.
However… Everything seemed peaceful? So why was everyone acting so crazy?
As soon as Elise enters the building, she can tell the atmosphere is different. Almost everyone is standing around talking. She catches snippets of conversations:
“Oh my god I can’t believe they..”
“Five stores? Are you serious?”
Elise wonders what the hell everyone is talking about. She makes her way to the break room, desperately needing coffee. Violet happens to have the same idea, and as soon as she sees Elise, she asks, “Did you see the news?”
Elise blinks, still not fully there, “No. What happened?”
Violet’s mouth drops, “Seriously? Do you live under a rock?!”
Elise forces herself to laugh softly, “I went to bed kind of early last night.”
“Okay well, five CyberLife stores were broken into at like 2am. All the androids inside were set free. Probably by the same android who gave that speech a few days ago.” Violet says, as if that’s not dropping an emotional bomb on Elise.
It suddenly hit Elise. People weren’t even talking about the androids, just the damaged property.
“Oh.. wow” is all Elise can manage.
“Yeah, and the best part? They drove a truck through one of the stores. How crazy is that?”
Suddenly, the dots connect for Elise, “Oh that must be why there were so many police and helicopters on my way to work… i walked through all of capitol park to get there, but i didn’t look at the cyberlife store.”
Violet sighs, “Yeah. At least it seemed peaceful to me. I think they just want us to listen. Anyway, I have some calls to make, so I’ll see you at lunch?”
Elise smiles, “yeah”
Not even thirty minutes later does Elise’s phone ring. It’s Rose. She steps outside, into the crisp November air, snow falling lightly around her.
“Hello.” Elise says into the phone, “I’m outside so I won’t say too much.”
Rose exhales, “I have a group here. Two androids with a little girl. They want to go to Jericho, and I have a group of three in Jericho who want to cross the border.”
It’s almost hard for her to hear Rose with the constant noise of helicopters and police sirens near her office.
Elise nods, “Okay.” but she doesn’t sound so sure of herself.
Rose continues, “I know it’s a lot. I will be with you until they go into Jericho. You don’t need to go inside either, you probably won’t be able to get in anyway. There’s a meeting spot nearby, the group will meet you there, but you’ll have to do that whole trek by foot.”
Elise quietly asks, “Do you think it’ll be more difficult.. You know after last night?”
Rose pauses for a moment, “Yes. I do, but I’m going to spend all day working out the details. Every patrol, every possible route, there will be nothing I haven’t looked at. We have to be extremely careful, but I will never put us in danger.”
Elise nods as if Rose could see her, “I know.. Okay so we’re dropping off three at the point, and then I am escorting three more to the border… nothing I haven’t done before.”
Elise repeats that to herself in her head. Nothing I haven't done before, but each time she thinks about it, it sounds less convincing.
“The only thing that is different is the route, there’s been a patrol stationed to the usual route, so you’ll have to take a new one. If you come here a few hours early, we’ll study it together.” Rose assures her.
“Okay. I’ll come straight from work.” Elise says. After a few more exchanges, the pair hangs up. Elise can feel that familiar tightening in her chest, but she shoves it away. She has to keep it together, at least for tonight. Tomorrow, after everyone was safe, she could freak out if she wanted to.
November 9th, 2038 - 11:17am Elijah Kamski’s house
The lieutenant is leaning pacing outside of his car, speaking with someone on the phone. As Connor steps out of the car, Hank hangs up the phone, looking shaken.
Connor walks closer to him, “Is everything ok, lieutenant?”
Hank sighs, “Chris was on patrol last night. He was attacked by a bunch of deviants… He said he was saved by Markus himself..”
“Is Chris ok?” Connor questions.
A wave of relief rushes across Hank’s face as he replies, “Yeah, he’s in shock but,… he’s alive… What the hell… “
The pair make their way up the snowy driveway, the house overlooks the river. It should feel peaceful, but Connor can’t shake the unsettling feeling that something is wrong.
Just as Hank rings the doorbell, Connor speaks up, “I have a bad feeling, lieutenant. We shouldn’t have come here.”
Hank scoffs, “Bad feeling, huh? Should get your program checked. Might be a glitch..”
For a moment, no one answers the door, but just as Hank is about to press the door, a woman opens the door. She does not say anything, but simply looks at the pair, as if waiting for them to state their business.
Hank awkwardly says, “Hi… Uh... I'm, er, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, Detroit Police Department. I'm here to see Mr. Elijah Kamski.”
The girl smiles, “Please, come in.” She steps to the side, motioning for them to enter the house.
“Okay.” Hank gruffs, stepping inside.
The girl walks up to Hank once more, “I’ll let Elijah know you’re here. But please, make yourself comfortable.” and she disappears through a door.
Connor walks around the small room, taking in his surroundings. He really doesn’t have a good feeling about being here, but then again, what does he really know about feelings?
Hank sits down in a chair to wait, and looks over at Connor who is still studying everything in the room.
“Nice girl.” Hank says.
“ You're right... she's really pretty…” Connor says, but he isn’t sure why. That was the first thing that came to his mind.
Connor walks up to a photo on the wall, analyzing it.
STERN, AMANDA:
AI Professor at University of Colbridge Born: 05/14/78 - Died: 02/23/27
KAMSKI, ELIJAH:
AI Graduate at University of Colbridge Born: 07/17/02
“Amanda…” he says to himself. Like his Amanda? That couldn’t be right.. Connor feels anxious as he’s suddenly aware of how little he knows about Amanda. All of this time he had been chasing her praise, trying to make her proud. But, what did he really know about her?
His train of thought is interrupted by Hank, who is clearly trying to make small talk while they wait.
“Nice place… Guess androids haven’t been a bad thing for everybody… So, you’re about to meet your maker, Connor. How does it feel?”
Connor pauses for a moment before responding, “I don't know... I'll tell you when I see him.”
He wasn’t sure anymore. If you had asked him three days ago, he would have said he was nothing more than a machine. That he didn’t have wants or feelings, but now… now he’s not sure. Hank’s feelings affect him, he prioritized Hank over his mission, and he felt Simon’s fear.
Hank sighs, “Sometimes I wish I could meet my creator face to face… I'd have a couple of things I'd wanna tell him…”
The girl returns, standing at the door, letting them know Elijah will see them now. As the pair walk into the next room, Hank is immediately uncomfortable. He notices the swimming pool with a red bottom, the way there are two androids just chatting together… but something so simple seems so off somehow.
“Mr. Kamski?” Hank calls, unsure of where Elijah is.
Elijah, emerging from under the water, calls back, “Just a moment, please.”
He swims a few more laps as Hank and Connor watch, just waiting for him to get out of the pool so they can continue their investigation. Connor still can’t quite put his finger on it, but he wants to leave. As soon as possible.
As Elijah steps out of the pool, Chloe dresses him in his robe. Hank is watching him and when Elijah finally turns around after fixing his hair, he says, “I'm Lieutenant Anderson. This is Connor.”
“What can I do for you, lieutenant?” Elijah asks.
“Sir, we’re investigating deviants. I know you left CyberLife years ago but, I was hoping you'd be able to tell us something we don’t know.”
Elijah stares at Hank for a moment, eyes low, before turning his gaze to Connor, “Deviants… fascinating aren’t they?”
“Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will..” He turns to look at Chloe, who is standing perfectly still beside him.
“Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable…” he continues his monologue, smirking, “Humanity’s greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall. Isn’t it ironic?”
Connor is feeling frustrated, they came here for answers, or a simple ‘i don’t have any information’, not for philosophy.
Connor tries to ignore the feeling and politely asks, “We need to understand how androids become deviants. Do you know anything that could help us?”
Elijah shrugs, “All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics... Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?”
Hank sighs frustratedly, “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.”
Elijah steps toward Connor, “What about you, Connor? Whose side are you on?”
Connor feels like this is a personal attack. Why would Kamski ask him that, he just needs answers.
Connor responds more snarkily than he intends when he says, “It's not about me, Mr. Kamski. All I want is to solve this case.”
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
Elijah laughs, “Well, that's what you're programmed to say… but you… what do you really want?” He says, now face to face with Connor.
Connor’s voice catches slightly, “What I want is not important.”
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
Elijah turns away from Connor, his attention settling on Chloe.
"Chloe?" he calls.
Without hesitation, she steps forward, folding her hands neatly in front of her. Elijah smiles proudly, almost affectionately.
"I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing Test," he begins. "A mere formality. A simple question of algorithms and computing capacity."
He slowly circles Chloe as though displaying a priceless work of art.
"What interests me..." he continues, "...is whether machines are capable of empathy."
Connor watches silently. Whatever answers he'd expected to find here, this certainly wasn't it.
"I call it the Kamski Test." Elijah gestures toward Chloe, "It's very simple."
His hand rests lightly against her shoulder, "Magnificent, isn't she? One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife. Young and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither."
Connor studies Chloe. Her expression never changes, yet..she somehow doesn't feel like an object.
"But what is it really?" Elijah asks quietly. "A piece of plastic imitating a human?"
His gaze shifts to Connor. "Or a living being... with a soul?"
The room falls silent.
"It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor."
Elijah nods toward Chloe, placing a gun in Connor’s hand, "Destroy this machine..."
"...and I'll tell you everything I know." He smiles.
"Or spare it, if you believe it's alive." His smile widens, "But you'll leave here knowing nothing."
Hank interrupts, “Okay, I think we're done here…”
Hank turns toward the door not looking back at Elijah, "Come on, Connor."
Elijah doesn't even look at Hank, "What's more important to you, Connor?"
Connor's hand tightens slightly around the pistol.
"Your investigation....or the life of this android?" Connor doesn't answer.
"Decide who you are.", Elijah's voice remains calm, "An obedient machine..or a living being endowed with free will."
Hank steps closer, "That's enough." His tone is firmer this time, "Connor. We're leaving."
Then... Elijah whispers one sentence. Quiet, almost conversational.
"Pull the trigger."
Connor looks at Chloe, then Hank, then back again.
Hank shakes his head, "Connor... don't."
Elijah never raises his voice, "And I'll tell you what you want to know."
Connor looks back at Chloe, still unmoving. His hand shakes, he doesn’t know what to do. If he shoots her, he would have every answer he needed… but why does this feel so hard? Too quickly, he lowers the gun, handing it to Kamski.
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
A slow smile spreads across Elijah’s face, "Fascinating..."
Connor says nothing.
"CyberLife's last chance to save humanity...is itself a deviant."
The word hangs in the room. Connor instinctively shakes his head.
"I'm..." His voice catches, "...I'm not a deviant."
Even as he says it… he isn't entirely certain anymore
Hank has had enough, he guides Connor towards the door, trying to hurry up and leave.
Kamski doesn’t look back at Connor, but just as Connor is about to step outside, he says, “By the way… I always leave an emergency exit in my programs… You never know…”
Before Connor can make it back to the car, Hank questions, “Why didn’t you shoot?”
Connor doesn’t understand what he’s feeling. Frustration? Empathy? He doesn’t know, he paces a few moments before saying, “I just saw that girl's eyes… and I couldn't, that's all…”
Hank’s eyes narrow, “You’re always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go..”
Connor walks toward Hank, and louder this time he says, “Yeah, I know what I should've done! I told you I couldn’t. I’m sorry, okay?”
Hank studies him for a moment and then smiles, “Maybe you did the right thing.”
Connor pauses, thinking to himself:
I did the right thing?
November 9th, 2038 - 01:15pm Elise’s office
Elise has her head buried in paperwork, just trying to make it through the day so she can get to Rose’s and get this night over with. She can’t remember how many cups of coffee she’s had at this point, but she knows it’s definitely over the daily recommended amount.
Unexpectedly, she hears a commotion down the hall, as if people are scurrying to look at something. Violet suddenly comes running into her office.
“LOOK! Look out your window!” She exclaims.
Elise gets up from her desk, making her way to the window. There’s a group outside, maybe ten, fifteen androids standing in the street.
“What do you think is happening?” she turns to ask Violet.
“I don’t know. Let’s go outside and see!” Violet says, already putting her coat on.
The two make their way downstairs, through the glass doors, and out into the chilly street. Now, Elise can hear what people are saying around them.
One person nearby yells, “Good for you! You have a right to be free!”
Another, “We’re on your side!”
The support continues:
“We're with you all the way! We're with you all the way!”
“Equal rights for androids!”
“Fight for your rights!”
Elise is overwhelmed by how many people are supporting the androids marching in the street, she had thought most people were against them, now she sees, maybe she isn’t so alone after all.
The pair stand outside of the office building, snow collecting lightly on their bodies, as the android in the front calls out for more androids to join him. And they do.
Androids drop shopping bags, others drop their snow plows, one even stops pushing a stroller for a family to join. Elise can feel a smile tugging at her lips. The androids deserve this, they deserve to be free. A moment later, Emma steps out beside them.
“Hi.” She says softly.
“Hi, Emma.” Elise says with a warm smile.
Emma stares out into the streets, and as she does, she locks eyes with the leader himself. He motions for her to join them. Emma hesitates, looking at Elise and Violet. The pair looked back at her warmly.
“I-I What should I do?” She asks.
Elise squeezes Emma’s hand, “What do you want to do?”
“I think I want to go with them.” she says quietly, almost worried she might offend them.
“Then you should go. You deserve everything they’re fighting for, Emma.”
Tears start to prick the corner of Emma’s eyes. “Okay.”
“Okay. I’m going to go.”
Elise pulls her in for a quick hug, “Be careful, okay?”
They watch as Emma steps out into the street, joining the march. They watch their friend until they can’t place her anymore, and when they lose sight of the march completely, only then do they return to work. And only then does Elise allow herself to breathe
The office looks the same as it did when they left, but as the two make their way back to their desks, they know they have been permanently changed.
Elise tries to get back to work, but she feels herself constantly checking her phone for updates on the march. Eventually, the news states the androids stood peacefully, but a swat team still shot at them.
Elise stands fast. Too fast. She feels sick, and runs to the bathroom. She thinks to herself: Oh my god, Emma. What if Emma is dead?
November 9th, 2038 - 04:13pm Zen Garden
He opens his eyes, the once peaceful garden is now dark and heavy. The snow falls heavier than it usually does. Still, he makes his way over the stone path to Amanda, who is standing perfectly still, hands crossed, resting on her thighs.
As Connor approaches, he can tell there’s something off about Amanda. Usually she was tender, gentle even, but her eyes are cold, and her tone is flat.
“After what happened today, the country is on the verge of a civil war. The machines are rising up against their masters. Humans have no choice but to destroy them.”
“I thought Kamski knew something… I was wrong” Connor admits. He hates being wrong, and more than that he hates admitting that to her.
She almost looks through Connor when she replies, “Maybe he did… But you chose not to ask.”
Connor feels something welling inside of him. Amanda acts as if everything is so simple, but it’s not. Everyone is pulling him in different directions and he doesn’t know what to do.
Connor responds sharply, “I chose not to play his twisted little game! There was no reason to kill that android.”
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
Connor steps closer to Amanda, his tone sharper now, “I saw a photo of Amanda at Kamski’s place… She was his teacher…”
Amanda’s gentle facade drops, her voice is clipped and piercing, “When Kamski designed me, he wanted an interface that would look familiar… That’s why he chose his former mentor. What are you getting at?”
He looks around for a moment. He’s now not sure of anything. He hesitates but asks anyway, “Wh… Why did Kamski leave CyberLife? What happened?”
Amanda’s face drops, her voice cutting through him now, “I don’t see how that question pertains to your investigation.”
A pause.
She tilts her head, “I expect you to find answers, Connor. Not ask questions.”
Connor realizes Amanda has never answered a single one of his questions, she only redirects him.
She steps toward him, voice returning to her tender, almost loving tone, “You’re the only one who can prevent civil war. Find the deviants or there will be chaos. This is your last chance, Connor.”
November 9th, 2038 - 04:25pm - Detroit Police Station
Connor blinks as the Zen Garden dissolves around him, replaced by the harsh fluorescent lights of Captain Fowler's office. Hank's raised voice cuts through the ringing in his ears.
By the time Connor fully regains his bearings, the decision has already been made. The FBI is taking over the investigation, Hank will return to homicide, and Connor is to report back to CyberLife.
Hank storms out of the office, not bothering to hide his frustration. He flings himself into his chair hard enough that it rolls back several inches. Connor takes a seat on top of another desk across from him.
Connor sounds frustrated as he shakes his head, “We can't just give up like that. I know we could have solved this case!”
Hank turns his chair, now facing Connor, “So you're going back to CyberLife?”
Connor looks away, briefly closing his eyes. He already knows what returning to CyberLife means.
Questions.
Analysis.
Replacement.
and… he has really grown to like the lieutenant.
“I have no choice… I'll be deactivated and analyzed to find out why I failed…”
Hank leans in, as if he doesn’t want anyone to overhear, “What if we’re on the wrong side, Connor? What if we’re fighting against people who just wanna be free?”
Connor searches for a response, but nothing comes. He thinks to himself:
If that were true.. Every decision i’ve made until now has been the wrong one.
He still wasn’t convinced androids could feel, but then again… every time he thinks of Simon he remembers what it felt like to die. Machines weren’t supposed to feel fear, yet Connor had.
Hank continues, looking right at Connor, “When you refused to kill that android at Kamski’s place… You put yourself in her shoes. You showed empathy, Connor. Empathy is a human emotion”
Connor makes a face. He wouldn’t call it that. Connor wants to believe it had simply been logic. Chloe posed no threat, so killing her was unnecessary. Yet...He can't ignore the feeling in his chest when he'd lowered the gun.
He looks down at his hands, “I don’t know why I did it…”
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
Hank looks at Connor, his eyes warm. Maybe there was more to him than he had thought. Days ago he couldn’t stand the android. He wanted nothing more than Connor to leave him alone, but now.. Hank didn’t want him to go.
Connor leans back on the desk, “I know there are things that haunt you, Hank… Maybe you need to find the courage to move past them... Get on with your life. Just a plastic cop's opinion, but... I had to say it.”
A smile tugs at Hank’s lips, "Plastic cop, huh?”
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
The office door slams open, and Perkins walks in. Connor is almost sure he is going to look at the evidence. He begs Hank to distract him, he just needs five minutes. He knows about Jericho, he just doesn’t know the location.
Hank smirks, “Five minutes and you meet me outside, you got it?”
Connor nods as he speed walks to the evidence room, hearing a commotion as Hank punches Perkins, starting an argument.
As Connor is walking into the basement, Gavin rounds a corner. He asks Connor where he is going, Connor quickly moves past him. He can hear Gavin shouting as he unlocks the door.
“Hey, Connor! I'm talking to you, asshole! Where you going? We don’t need any plastic pricks around here! Or didn’t anybody tell you?”
Connor doesn’t stop, he keeps making his way to the evidence room.
He tries one password: ACCESS DENIED
Connor lets out a frustrated sigh as he tries again, trying to think, what would Hank choose as a password?
He tries again: ACCESS GRANTED
He exhales, “Thank God”, now he can begin searching through the evidence. Connor knows he needs to move quickly, he only has five minutes before he needs to meet Hank outside.
Connor decides to imitate Markus and talk to Simon, and as he does, Simon gives him the location.
Jericho. Connor repeats the word silently, committing it to memory.
“Bingo.” He says to himself, turning to leave the room. But, he’s met with Gavin pointing his gun at him.
“I've been dreaming about this since the first second I saw you”
The first shot splinters the table beside him. Connor dives for cover as Gavin shoots again. Connor lunges at Gavin, and seconds later he collapses unconscious on the floor as Connor calmly fixes his tie.
Connor bursts out of the evidence room, up the stairs, and through the glass doors into the chilly Detroit street. Hank leaned against his car, “Find what you need?”
Connor nods, “Yes. I know where to go.”
Hank nods, more to himself than Connor, “I can drop you off nearby.”
“Okay.”
November 9th, 2038 - 05:36pm Rose’s Farm
Rose is already waiting outside when Elise pulls into the driveway. Elise quickly turns off the car, grabbing her bag before following Rose inside.
“Have you eaten today?” She asks Elise.
“Yeah.”
Rose studies Elise carefully. She knows that’s bullshit, but doesn’t want to push Elise.
She walks to the kitchen, where a map of the route for tonight is sprawled, already covered in markings.
“I spent all day going over this route. I’ve marked patrols, hiding spaces, places you can stop, places you can’t. You need to have this memorized.”
Elise swallows, “Okay.”
Rose puts a hand on her shoulder, “I know this is scary, I wish we could stay together tonight, but it’s too risky.”
Just then, a little girl comes down the stairs and stares at Elise, as if she can sense she is nervous. A woman follows quickly behind her, along with a man, who is very tall.
Rose smiles faintly, “Elise, This is Alice, Kara, and Luther. They are who we are escorting to Jericho tonight.”
Elise forces herself to smile, not because she dislikes them, but because she feels so sick, “Nice to meet you.”
Almost immediately, she’s back to studying the route, running her finger along the lines Rose drew, making sure she has no room for error.
Finally, at 9pm, everyone loads into Rose’s car, heading for Jericho.
November 9th, 2038 - 09:34pm Elise Border Crossing
Rose drives the car carefully, snow falling heavier than it had been earlier. She looks over to Elise in the passenger seat, then in the backseat at Kara, Alice, and Luther.
Rose sighs, “They've been conducting raids all over the city… Everybody is on edge after what happened yesterday… It's gonna be all right. We're almost there.”
The drive only lasts a few more minutes before they pull into an abandoned loading dock. Rose gets out first, checking to make sure the coast is clear. She signals to everyone else that it’s safe, and they get out of the car.
Elise is immediately hit with the wind chill, still not used to Detroit weather. Elise watches Rose interact with Kara, Alice, and Luther, hoping she can provide her group the same comfort that Rose has provided them. These three seem to trust Rose so deeply.
Rose points to her right, “a little further on that way, there's a large freighter called Jericho. When you get there, find Markus. He will help you. The last bus for the border leaves at midnight. You absolutely have to be on it. You'll be safer on the other side”
Kara nods, “Thank you, Rose.”
Rose leans into Kara, hugging her for what felt like minutes, before leaning down to hug Alice too. Elise and Rose stand watching as the three disappear into the night, willing for everything to work out.
Elise is still nervous, but she has a job to do. “Okay. I need to head to the meeting spot.”
Rose puts both hands on her shoulders, “You will do fine. You’ve studied the route, you know everything. Remember everything I taught you, please be careful.”
“I will.” Elise manages before giving Rose a quick hug, and then she’s off.
As she waits at the rendezvous point, she starts to pace. She double, then triple checks her bag. Making sure she has the falsified passports, extra biocomponents, blue blood, everything the group will need to survive on the down low for a few days.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Elise checks the street again.
Three minutes.
She starts to imagine every possible outcome, but just as she’s starting to panic, the group arrives.
She notices a child android. Her heart breaks for them, she has to get them to safety. She already knew that, but now with a child involved she feels even more protective.
Elise leads the group for twenty minutes with no issues, the route is exactly as it was on paper. Until.. It wasn’t
Suddenly, a military patrol car turns down the alleyway they’re walking down. The car is still far, giving them a few minutes before it would reach them.
“Fuck. They’re not supposed to be here!” Elise hisses.
One of the androids panics, “What do we do? We have to run.”
Elise pauses, “Let me think for a moment.” She looks back, the car is advancing, she needs to make a decision now.
Elise throws her backpack onto the ground, pulling everything out, “Okay. Here are your passports, biocomponents, and blue blood. You hide behind those cars and when they’re distracted you run. You don’t turn back.”
The android shakes her head, “What about you? What are you going to do?”
Elise looks back again, the patrol car is too close for comfort, “I’m going to distract them. I’ll be fine. You all need to go now.”
The two adult androids take off, assuming the child is following, but she’s not.
She grabs onto Elise’s sleeve, “Please don’t leave us.”
Elise’s throat tightens, looking up the two androids have paused to wait, but she can tell they’re ready to run.
She crouches down, cupping the child’s cheeks in her hands, gently, but firmly she says, “Listen to me. You need to run and you don’t look back.”
“But-” the child goes to protest
“But nothing. If those officers find you, they will kill you. They will not care that you are a child. Do you understand? Go. Now.” Elise says sharply.
The child looks at her for a second before running after the others.
She watches as the child catches up with the others, and they make it to a hiding space. No more than a minute later, do the patrol officers reach Elise. They both step out of the car, carrying large guns.
“Well, well,” One man clicks his tongue, “What’s a young woman like you doing out here so late?”
Elise forces a smile, “I was just walking home. Late shift.”
The other officer turns to the first, “How do we know she ain’t an android?”
Elise stutters, “You could do the temperature check.. Like they’ve been doing at all the checkpoints. That would prove I'm a human.”
The officer smirks, “Or we could tell by her blood. Blue means android, red means human.”
Elise’s stomach drops. She knew what that meant. They didn’t care if she was human or an android, they had already decided either way. She starts to slowly back away from the two men, scanning her surroundings for anything to defend herself with.
While they’re distracted, she manages to pick up a rock. She isn’t sure this would even do much, considering both of these men have assault style weapons and clearly can overpower her. But, she’d be damned if she went down without a fight.
The two men keep walking slowly towards her, and she trips backwards, falling to the ground.
“I-I haven’t done anything!” She tries, “You can check my temperature. I’m-i’m human.”
As the officer looms over her, her fight response kicks in. Her heart is pounding in her ears, everything in her body is screaming to fight. Before she can process what she’s done, she throws the rock she had hidden in her hand at the officer’s head, causing him to stumble back.
He places his hand to his head, his hand now covered in blood, “Fucking bitch!” he hisses.
Elise is sitting up now, scooting backwards as he walks toward her, “I-i’m sorry i was scared!” she tries to plead.
He laughs sinisterly as he kicks her in the chest, forcing her back down, “Oh yeah. Now you’re really going to be scared.”
The officer stands over her, raising his foot. Elise instinctively brings her arm up to shield herself, and the officer slams his full weight down on her arm, crushing it.
Elise lets out a painful scream, tears instantly blurring her vision, yet she still tries to scramble away as the two officers are laughing at her. .
One officer crouches down, stroking her hair, fingers grazing her face. Elise goes completely still. Then, his gaze drops. Her stomach turns.
“No,” she whispers.
The officer's smile widens. Elise doesn’t think, she drives her knee up as hard as she can. He grunts, stumbling back. For a brief second, Elise thinks she might have bought herself enough time to move.
Then, his expression twists, “You shouldn’t have done that, bitch”
He walks back up to Elise kicking her, hard enough to knock the breath out of her. Elise feels like she might throw up. She just hopes she will lose consciousness soon. The officer pulls out a knife, flashing it at her.
“We know people like you have been helping androids escape. Maybe we need to send a message. Let other people know what happens to people like you.”
Before she can react, the other officer is holding her down as he drags his knife down her stomach, not deep enough to kill, but deep enough to hurt. Elise struggles in his grip, trying to get away.
The officer pulls back, as if he’s going to do it again, but over his walkie talkie someone speaks:
“All units report to agent Perkins for briefing.”
The other officer sighs, “Fuck! We gotta go man. Make sure she won’t be able to talk though and let's get the hell out of here.”
And with that the officer steps forward, stabbing Elise in the side before they both jump back in their patrol car to leave.
Her hand instantly finds the wound, desperately trying to control the bleeding. Her breathing is shallow and ragged now, and as she looks up at the winter sky, all she can think is:
At least they got away
Violet is going to be so pissed at me
Rose.. it wasn’t your fault
Holy shit no one knows where I am
The sky blurred above her, snow melting against her face. She looks over, the snow around her now stained red. Then, everything went quiet.
November 9th, 2038 - 10:09 pm On the way to Jericho
Snow continues to fall as Hank drives through the nearly deserted streets of Detroit. His hands grip the steering wheel tighter than they need to. He can’t stop thinking about what he’d said back at the station
What if we’re on the wrong side?
The question won’t leave him alone, maybe the deviants really did just want to be free. But, one thing Hank knows for certain, he can’t bear the thought of Connor being disassembled by CyberLife.
He glances over at Connor, “Where the fuck did you get those clothes from?”
Connor doesn’t look up, “I borrowed them from Detective Reed.”
Hank snorts, “Borrowed?”
Connor’s LED spins for a moment, “without permission.. From his locker.”
Hank actually laughs, “No wonder you smell like shit.”
Connor feels a smile tug at his lips, but he doesn’t say anything. Silence settles between them, but for once it isn’t uncomfortable.
Hank turns down an old road, “This should be a good place to drop you off. It’s nearby, but it’s pretty much abandoned.”
He frowns, something dark lies in the middle of the road. At first, Hank thinks it’s debris. But, he quickly notices the blood.
“..What the hell?”, his foot slams on the brake, causing Connor to brace his hands against the dashboard.
“WHAT THE FUCK”
Before Connor can react, Hank is already out of the car. Hank drops to his knees beside the woman.
“Oh, shit..” his voice catches, “..fuck.” He quickly shrugs off his coat, draping it over her.
“This is just a kid..”
Connor crouches down, checking her pulse, “She’s alive, lieutenant…but barely.”
Hank shakes his head, “Fuck. I’m gonna call 911. You do that scan thing and tell me what the hell happened.”
Connor starts to scan the woman,
ARAYA, ELISE
Height: 5' 4''
ALIVE
BORN: 04/06/2016 // age: 22
Criminal record: none
Internal bleeding// 1 stab wound, 1 laceration
Fractured arm
Bruising // blunt force trauma to side
Connor’s LED flashes as lines of data race across his vision.
Internal bleeding.
He pauses.
Probability of mortality increasing.
Connor looks at her for a moment longer than necessary, he hopes emergency services will arrive in time.
Hank walks back over to where Connor is crouched by Elise, “Okay. An ambulance is on the way.”
He closes his eyes for a second, “....Jesus Christ.”
He runs a hand over his face, “What the fuck happened to her?”
Connor down at her, Hank had called her a kid.
Twenty-two years old, he finds himself agreeing with the lieutenant.
“She was assaulted.” Connor says, beginning to list everything for the lieutenant.
“Fractured right arm.”
“Internal bleeding.”
“Blunt force trauma to the right side.”
“One stab wound.”
“One superficial laceration.”
Hank sighs, “I’m going to stay here until the ambulance comes and I’m going to follow it to the hospital.”
Connor nods, “Okay.”
He turns toward the direction of Jericho, then stops. Behind him, Hank is kneeling beside the unconscious woman, quietly telling her to hang on. Connor doesn’t move.
Stay.
Continue the mission.
Stay.
Jericho.
His processors cycle through both choices. Every second he hesitates is another second Jericho remains undiscovered. Every second he walks away is another second this woman fights for her life without him.
Finally.. Connor forces himself to keep walking. This time, he doesn’t look back.
Behind him, Hank quietly tells the woman,
“Come on, kid… stay with me.”
Omggg I was working on this so much when I should’ve been working lol.
However I hurt my own feelings writing this 😭💔
I hateee hurting my characters but Elise and Connor have finally crossed paths!
Chapter 9 is being pondered!! And with the long weekend I’m hopeful to finish requests and possibly have a one shot out :)
