Chapter Text
Connor opened his eyes and found himself back in the Zen garden he used to frequent before being decommissioned.
"Amanda?" he called, looking around for the familiar face of his master.
"Ah, Connor. You're awake." Amanda smiled at him from the island in the center of the lake. "Come on over. We need to talk."
Connor carefully navigated his way down the stone trail to the white bridge that would lead him to the island. It has been so long since his last visit. After ending the revolution, Cyberlife deactivated him. He had never thought to see it again.
"Amanda, why am I here?" he asked once he reached her on the island. "I thought I was to be deactivated permanently. Why have you brought me back?"
"All in good time, Connor." Amanda smiled enigmatically. "We have a new mission for you, one that we believe you are uniquely suited to. Come, walk with me." Amanda turned to the side and gestured for Connor to walk beside her.
Connor nodded and followed by Amanda, matching her pace. They walked across the bridge and started up one of the numerous trails lining the garden.
After a few minutes of silence, Connor asked again, "Why am I here? What other mission would you need me for? I fulfilled my purpose when I neutralized the deviant leader."
"You see, Connor," Amanda began, "You have proven yourself efficient in completing your assigned missions and remarkably resistant to deviancy. Furthermore, you have shown yourself capable of bonding with humans and gaining their trust. For these reasons, we have elected to reactivate and reassign you."
"Where are you going with this? I don't understand. Isn't the RK900 model supposed to be superior? Wouldn't it have these same abilities?" Connor frowned in confusion, turning to look at her.
"Don't mistake yourself, Connor." Amanda frowned and turned toward him. "The RK900 model is very special, but it has been tasked with another mission. One that does not concern you."
She turned away and continued walking. "We need you to do this Connor. You have something the RK900 does not. Experience. Your experience handling Lieutenant Anderson especially will prove useful."
Connor considered this, his LED flashing yellow briefly, then returning to its normal blue hue. "Alright," he said. "What's my mission?"
Amanda smiled. "You see this woman?" She held up a picture. "Her name is Dr. Clara Hayes. Find her and inform her that Cyberlife requires her services. By the time you reach her, she'll know to expect you. When you find her, watch her, protect her, and relay any information you discover concerning her research to me. You are to stay with her at all times."
"Yes, Amanda." Connor's LED flashed yellow for a few moments while he processed the information.
"Very good. I'll upload her dossier to your database." With that, Amanda dismissed him to complete his new mission.
*****
Dr. Clara Hayes sat at her usual seat in the corner of the coffee shop patiently waiting for her visitor. She had been contacted by Cyberlife three days ago to set up the meeting, but she did not yet know who or what to expect.
As one of the foremost researchers in android psychology, her services and expertise were in high demand, especially following the events of the previous year: the android revolution. Still, she did not expect Cyberlife to reach out to her directly.
"The city is still recovering from the devastation caused by the android uprising four months ago, but construction companies estimate that repairs to the major roadways should be finished within the next two weeks." The news played on the TV above the coffee shop counter, appraising the listeners of the city's current situation. "Police forces continue to gather rogue androids and turn them in to Cyberlife for study. With their ringleader, Markus, dead and his body recovered by Cyberlife, efforts against the remaining androids have gone smoothly. Our beautiful city can finally recover from the terror caused by those--"
Clara tuned out the broadcast. She was glad the chaos was finally coming to an end. She knew the revolution had cost the city greatly, and a lot of lives had been lost. That being said, she was most definitely tired of hearing about it on the news.
"Still waiting?" The waitress interrupted Clara from her reverie. Clara put her teacup down and folded her hands in her lap.
"Yeah," Clara sighed. "I'm not sure when to expect them. The time was a little unclear. Just how it goes, I guess." She shrugged
"Well, just let me know if you need a refill." The waitress smiled politely then bounced away, checking on other patrons.
Clara sipped her tea and contemplated. She was curious to see who would be meeting her here, but if they did not come soon, she determined to have a few cross words with them for making her wait so long.
Just then, she heard the bell ring as someone opened the coffee shop door. From her seat, she could see a tall man walking in. He wore a grey suit marked with the android armband and triangle. He looked around the room, eyes scanning across the faces around him before they landed on her. Clara held his gaze for a few moments before looking back down at her half-empty teacup. Through the din of the shop, she heard his footsteps approaching.
Sipping quietly on her tea, Clara waited for him to approach. When he was close enough, she set her cup down, folded her hands into her lap, and looked up at him.
"Dr. Hayes?" he inquired. She nodded. "My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife."
Clara looked at him coolly. "Well, Connor," she said. "You're late. I'd hoped an android would at least have a sense of timeliness." Her voice betrayed a hint of annoyance.
"I apologize," Connor said in an even tone. "I was delayed by the construction."
"Very well." Clara gestured for him to take the chair across the table from her. "Please, have a seat so you can tell me what this is all about."
*****
At Dr. Hayes' invitation, Connor took his seat across from her. She was a small woman with her long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a white button-up top covered by a black cardigan and a grey pencil skirt with black tights and black stilettos. Round, gold-framed glasses sat on her small nose, slowly sliding down the bridge, framing her bright blue eyes. He watched as she quickly pushed them back up.
Connor took a moment to analyze her again, comparing with the information in his dossier.
Clara Hayes, age 26, born October 1, 2012. Single child, parents deceased. Graduated college with a double major in psychology and programming. Accepted into a top graduate school a year later and awarded her PhD in psychology a year ago at age 25. Currently a leading researcher in deviant psychology.
"So..." Clara leaned forward, catching his attention. "What's this all about?"
Connor finished his analysis and said, "Cyberlife has requested your transfer to their facility to aid their team in researching the remaining deviants. As the leading expert in the field, they believe you can succeed where their scientists have failed. My instructions stipulate that I am to accompany you at all times, should you accept the posting."
"Bit odd, don't you think?" Dr. Hayes replied. "Sending an android negotiator out to recruit someone in this political weather. I'd have thought they'd send a person." She leaned back into her seat a smiled a little.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. I fail to see your point." Connor's voice was flat. "I'm just another machine sent to complete a mission. And, I'm worth a small fortune. Anyone who damages me will be subject to immense fines."
"Still," she said. "After all that's happened with the androids, I didn't think they'd trust another one with a task like this, even one like you."
Connor leaned forward, voice growing more serious. "Dr. Hayes, do you know who I am?"
Dr. Hayes pinched the handle of her teacup between her fingers, taking a slow sip. "Of course I know. You're the RK800 prototype, codenamed Connor. You're a special model designed for investigating deviants and aiding the police in their capture. You were instrumental in bringing down the leader of the revolution. What I don't understand is why you've been assigned to me. Why you and not a human handler?"
"Handler?" Connor seemed puzzled. "I'm an android. That's not part of my function. I was sent simply to assist and protect you."
The doctor sighed, covering her eyes and propping her forehead on her fingers. "You and I both know that's not all you were assigned to do." She sat back up and stared at him. "Cyberlife feels threatened by my research, but they can't afford to stop it, so they want to control it. To make sure the deviancy program is not replicated and that the deviant uprising remains the first and last of its kind. I don't expect you to tell me the extent of your mission. You've probably been instructed not to tell me anyway. But let's at least be honest about why you're really here."
She frowned and took another sip of her tea. She set the cup back on the saucer with a quiet clink.
The pair remained silent for a moment, neither breaking eye contact. They stared at each other, surrounded by the quiet din of the shop. Finally, Connor spoke. "Cyberlife has extended an invitation to join their research team. You'll be provided with your own lab, and you'll have access to the bodies of the deviants recovered by the police. You'll have access to any funding and equipment you may need through the course of your research. Should you accept, I am to accompany you at all times during the process. Should you decline, I am to apprehend you and bring you in by any means necessary. We would prefer that you come willing, but the choice is yours, Dr. Hayes."
*****
Clara wasn't quite sure what to make of this android. He was unlike any other she'd ever encountered. The way he spoke and interacted with her was every bit the cold machine she'd been led to believe. There was not an ounce of sympathy behind those eyes. And yet, it was...unexpected.
She slowly sipped her now lukewarm tea as she considered his proposal, not that it was much of a choice at all. She could choose to go willingly, but regardless of how she felt, the result would remain the same. She would end up another sycophant in a Cyberlife lab, conducting their experiments while they stifled her own research.
No, that wouldn't happen. Not if she had anything to say about it. She set her cup down with a clink and folded her hands into her lap.
"I have a counter offer." She kept her voice calm and even. "I'll work for Cyberlife, but I'll do it on my own terms. If you want me to come willingly, I have some conditions." She watched as Connor's LED flashed yellow, likely as he relayed this information to his handler. "And if you try to abduct me, I'm afraid you'll find that I can be very uncooperative."
He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at her. "Very well. What are your terms?"
Clara smiled. "First, I get to come and go as I please. I refuse to be locked away in your little labs."
Connor nodded slowly. "Cyberlife agrees."
She continued. "Second, if you accompany me outside the lab, especially to my home, you will remain in the areas that I designate. You will not be permitted to wander freely."
His LED flashed yellow for a moment while he considered. "Agreed, on the condition that I am allowed to intervene anytime I deem the conditions unsafe."
Clara considered this for a moment, recognizing that this was likely the only way to keep a semblance of privacy. She nodded. " Agreed."
She sat quiet for a moment, considering her next request. "Third, when I am speaking to a deviant, I need to be alone with them. My methods will not work otherwise. I will provide a report of the conversation, but I refuse to be watched while I work."
Connor hesitated at this. "Why would you need to be alone?"
"Suffice it to say that it is necessary for my research methods. It'll make more sense when you see what I mean." Clara looked at him coolly and confidently.
He closed his eyes for a moment, LED once again flashing yellow. "Cyberlife will honor that for now, on the condition that I be allowed to intervene should a situation grow dangerous."
"Alright, I'll accept that." Clara took another sip from her cup, then set it back down gently. She cleared her throat and returned her hands to their folded position in her lap. "My fourth condition is that I'm able to choose any additional assistants as necessary without prior approval, and Cyberlife agree not to dismiss them without my approval."
Connor paused at this. He closed his eyes and thought for a few moments, again likely communicating with his handler. "For security reasons, all personnel working for Cyberlife are required to go through a screening process."
Clara smiled. "Ah, but they won't be working for Cyberlife. They'll be working directly for me. I'll handle the screening process. I understand that trust is a finite resource, but don't worry. If your boss is concerned that I'll be trading inside information, don't be. My assistants and I will honor Cyberlife's terms of confidentiality. We'll even sign a nondisclosure agreement if that will put your mind at ease. I just need assistants that I can trust, and that excludes anyone assigned to me by Cyberlife." She looked pointedly at him.
The android frowned, once again closing his eyes as his LED flashed yellow. "We agree, on the condition that I am allowed to closely monitor those you choose, at least until they are no longer deemed a threat."
That seemed reasonable. This way, at least Cyberlife wouldn't be able to interfere too much with her research. "Agreed."
Clara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then breathing out slowly. She opened her eyes and looked back up at Connor. "My final condition is this: I may need to be able to bring deviants, deactivated or otherwise, to my lab at home. There are resources there that I cannot get anywhere else. This is non-negotiable."
Once more, the android closed his eyes, mulling this over. His LED flashed yellow once more, then transitioned back to blue after a moment. He looked back up, meeting her eyes with a stern gaze. "Why would you need to bring a deviant home? Don't you know how dangerous that is? You'd be better off bringing the resources from your home lab with you."
"It doesn't work that way," Clara said coldly. "You can't just expect me to uproot my entire system to pander to the whims of your dictatorial research board. If they want me to work with them willingly, it needs to be on my terms. Otherwise, you'll just have to kidnap me and deal with the consequences."
Connor's LED flashed again. He frowned but said, "Fine, we'll agree to this, on the condition that I be allowed to observe the deviant the entire time it is away from the Cyberlife Tower. And, Dr. Hayes, know that if the deviant becomes a threat in any way, I will to be forced to neutralize it."
The doctor considered for a moment. This was likely the best she was going to get if she was going to agree to this on her own terms. Getting spirited away by this stern android sounded less appealing. "I accept these conditions and expect that you will honor them in full." Clara held out her hand and gave the android a tight smile. "I look forward to working with you, Connor."
The android took her hand, giving her a firm handshake. "I look forward to working with you too, Dr. Hayes."